The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-03-04
Constitutional Prohibition.


Communicated.
This seems to be the order of the day in
many states. In Michigan the question is
now before the people to be voted on next
month and all the forces of the State are be-
ing used to carry il to a successful result.
West Va. is soon to vote, Oregon has pass
ed the measure. Penn. has given it the in.
itial move, but it has yet to be acted upon
by a new legislature yet to be elected, when
all the combined efforts of the liquor power
and political trickery of old parties not in
sympathy with the measure, will be used to
defeat it. In our own state the question
will be up in connection with the Conveu-
ton to revise our State Constitution. soon
to be acted on by the public. Tennessee has
provided for the submission Of the measure,
but the time of voting is not yet fixed. The
same measure passed the House in Texas by
a vote of so to 81. Also the lower house in
Missouri.
The Republicans in n. Y, and Mass.
have promised to give the necessary legisla-
ton to submit in these States, but in the
former they have violated the same pledge
SO often, it is hard to tell what they will
not do. So this question is moving the
waters in every state in the Union. 1t Is
one upon which there is no division of
opinion and the strongest party men are for
the time laying aside their differences to Sc
cure this end
This brings to light the fact, that the
great mass of tbe people are thoroughly in
terested, and are far ahead of either of the
old parties, when the question, "Will yor
support the American home or the Fore ign
Saloe n" is brought fairly home to them,
that there is no neutral position. The only
question now between the three political
Constitutional Prohibition is lame and can
not walk alone or defend itself. Statuary
law must supplement it to furnish it with
the means of its preservation, Or usefulness
This statuary law can only come through
state legislation or Congress.
This is all that is lacking. Where the
party that has for the time control of the
law making, and the executive branches of
government, wishes TO occupy a neutral po-
sition, to retain power by the votes of both
prohibitionists and saloonists, all their laws
will be framed to compromise with the lat
ter, or whatever laws they may put on pa
per, will be nullifed by the men they ap.
point to enforce them. This is, and will
continue while the church ard saloon vote
the same ticket. Not to make these remarks
too lengthy we would like to add few
lines on the official position of the w. C.
Ellen Foster represents very small mino-
ity of that powerful. organization in her un-
called for, strongly partisan, (professed non
partisan) attacks upon the acts of her super
ior officers.
AS their peerless leader Frances E. Will
lard puts it, in her terse style. The w. G..
T. U. is in favor of prohibition, first, last
and all the time, and they cannot consist
emily lend their Influence equally to
all political parties; i. e. to one in open
support of the saloon, to one professedly
neutral, and to one fairly and openly allied
against it. They have thrice passed a reso-
luton pledging their influence and moral
support to that political party, that shall in
their platform offer the best embodiment of
prohibition principles.
While the women are not voters they
can only lend an influence, and as the bor-
rover is ever the servant of the lender. they
can withdraw that Influence when the
party is false to its promises.